A Craft Blog

Amigurumi Octopus

I ran across a post on Instagram the other day talking about how crocheted octopus dolls can be given to tiny premature babies to help them feel safe and comfortable, which in turn boosts their oxygen levels and overall health. I know someone who recently had a very tiny preemie and was instantly curious.

I did a lot of research and discovered that there is a hospital in Denmark that has tested this theory. They give little crocheted or knitted octopus dolls to their preemie patients and have seen noticeable results. They said that cuddling with the soft tentacles reminds the babies of the umbilical cord and being in the womb. The medical staff reported that this calms the babies – leading to improved breathing and heart rates and increased levels of oxygen in their blood. They also said that babies with an octopus doll were less likely to pull out their tubes and monitors.

I was eager to come up with a pattern to make one of these helpful little guys!

3 thoughts on “Amigurumi Octopus”

I’ve seen a few articles about this, and I’d really love to give it a go. The idea of my crochet actually helping someone sounds like the best thing ever to me! Have you sent yours to a hospital? I’m not quite sure how to go about that part of it.